The overall tone of the interview responses indicate that under the umbrella of Education, these three teachers operate within multiple cultures. How one is able to smoothly navigate both within and between the cultures they encounter will dictate, in part, their ability to achieve a sense of well-being in their job.More specifically, the application of induction practices within these multiple cultures can be revealed by the shared experiences of the interviewees. We have identified four cultures that are distinct and yet are highly synergistic. These are professional, district, school, and teacher cultures. A teacher may exist in one or a multitude of these simultaneously. We realize that these may not be the only cultures that exist, but we have chosen these based on the experiences documented in the interviews.
The first culture that exists is the professional culture. Every teacher, regardless of whether they are new or experienced, exists in this culture. As McKay states, teaching "is the noblest profession in the world" (1953). Teachers get to be with the best and brightest students every day. They can challenge students academically, socially, physically, and emotionally. It is a culture that teaches students to be the best that they can be. Teachers push students to go beyond their limits and reach their fullest potential. This is truly the good side of the professional culture - teachers make a difference.
But there is also another side to this culture. While teachers can encourage their students to excel and succeed, the professional culture is also said to "eat its young" (Halford, 1998). Although noble and rewarding, the teaching profession can be gruelling. We expect teachers "to assume the same responsibilities and duties as our most seasoned professionals" (Renard, 2003). As Teacher Green states, "I think new teachers are pushed into the deep end rather than the wading pool." This is certainly not the pleasant side of the professional culture, but it is a reality. Teachers are thrown into the deep end and told to sink or swim. They struggle to teach in their individual classrooms every day and silo themselves from the teaching community. Despite the fact that the teaching community is so large and that many teachers in the same school may teach the same course, there is a lot of isolation. Teachers have few opportunities to co-plan and co-teach and as a result, the professional culture is exclusionary rather than inclusive.
In addition to the professional culture, there exists a distinct district culture. All three school boards offered some form of induction to introduce new teachers to the district. This will typically take on the form of district information and procedural matters such as identification and payroll. However, districts will vary to how far they take formal induction. Examples of this were new teacher workshops and receiving mentorship opportunities. At a teacher conference, Teacher Pink, “got to meet all of the superintendents and...learned a little bit about the culture and history of the district." Regardless of the initial formal induction process that the teachers encountered, each one felt that there was a definite void in their induction experience. For Teacher Green, after the initial induction workshop, "I never heard anything from this program again [after the information session]." For Teacher Pink, despite the promise of a district wide induction program, "I heard very little about this program [once the school year began]…Nobody approached me about participating in it." Alternatively, for Teacher Blue, there was a mentoring pairing process in place, but "I had no formal support [after the first year]." It is evident that each of the teachers wanted more support and despite the outward appearance of support for the beginning teachers, the districts' approach to induction was more symbolic rather than systemic. If induction was truly a priority, then more energy and resources would be available to develop and support the careers of the beginning teachers.
Another culture that became apparent through the teachers' responses was school culture. Every school has its own distinct traditions and rituals that will define the students and staff within its walls. This is where teachers are exposed to the greatest intensity of school culture. The policies, philosophies, and vision of each school impacts its culture; as teachers and students pass in and out of the hallways year after year, the gifts and talents that they have shared linger and influence the future of the school. For induction to have a place within a school's culture, then, it must be developed over time and must be featured as a significant part of the school. How well a beginning teacher is inducted is dependent on how the school views induction. This lies in the hands of the teachers and administrators. As Youngs states, teachers are more likely to succeed “when particular district policies are present and when mentors, principals, and other colleagues hold particular understandings of induction” (2007). Moreover, Teacher Pink commented that, “[Induction] can help a teacher learn the culture of a school, gain knowledge and expertise, and also network within a teaching community or district." Furthermore, Teacher Green said that, “it is crucial that … teachers are put on the right track to success not only in the ways of teaching, but the ways of the institution of schooling itself.” Only in this way can beginning teachers have a chance to be properly inducted into their school and begin their careers on the right foot. Being properly inducted into a school's culture can have lasting effects on a teacher's satisfaction and possibly retention as well. In fact, Teacher Pink shared an experience where a colleague with thirteen years of teaching experience went to a new school and requested a mentor. This proved to be very successful, as she learned the school culture and became comfortable in her new environment more quickly. This shows that no matter what stage a teacher is at in their career, every school has a unique culture that needs to be learned and adopted.
Lastly, a teacher culture was identified as an essential ingredient for beginning teachers. Teaching is all about building relationships. Teachers primarily build relationships with their students – after all, we are in the business of teaching students! Teachers also build relationships with parents and guardians who can a teacher’s greatest allies. More importantly, we build relationships with colleagues. As teachers gain experience, they can share their knowledge and expertise with fellow teachers. It allows them to be reflective about their practice. As Teacher Green stated, it was “rewarding to have the opportunity to share my experiences and advice.” There is clearly a culture of “passing on the torch” and sharing “war stories.” Why reinvent the wheel when other teachers have already paved the way for success? This sharing culture is important for moving forward. Similar to student learning, teaching needs to be scaffolded and supported because it goes beyond the mere aspects of teaching and into the social and emotional supports that are necessary to survive the demands of a teacher’s life. Moreover, teachers stay in the profession because of the relationships they develop. Many people would say that they have stayed at a particular job because of the people they work with. This is even more true with teaching! The relationships and friendships that are built help teachers last longer. Teachers share a communal environment where they have the opportunity to bounce ideas off each other, eat lunch together, and co-plan, co-teach, or co-coach. The most valuable resource a teacher can have is the teacher next door, down the hall, or across the staff room table.
EXPERIENCES AND RELATIONSHIPS
Another major theme that developed through the interviews was Experiences and Relationships. Within this theme, four main threads surfaced, namely positive experience, affective experience, holistic approach, and pairing process. Together, these four strands encompass our responses about experiences and relationships within our work environments. The Experiences and Relationships theme truly demonstrates how teachers rely on and necessitate human connection and compatibility to succeed in their teaching and become inspired in their work.
First of all, the overall tone of the responses was positive even though not all the induction experiences were favorable. It was also evident that informal mentoring had the most positive response, as opposed to the formal mentoring which did not meet the teachers’ expectations or needs. For example, Teacher Pink stated, “The informal mentoring was the best support I received. All of the casual conversations, advice, stories, resources, and experiences shared have stayed with me and have helped me learn more than anything else.” The same teacher also stated, “Some of the conversations I found most valuable were the ones about classroom management, encouraging [and] motivating students in the right ways, dealing with parents, curriculum objectives, resources, when to call in sick, and overall wellness.” The casual and impromptu conversations seemed to make more of an impact on the teachers, most likely because the immediate feedback from a colleague is more helpful than meeting with a mentor about general and vague issues regarding teaching. Instead, when there is something to talk about – perhaps an incident occurred in the previous block – talking to somebody about it right away resonates more strongly than waiting until a meeting can be scheduled for it.
An observation in Beverly Tillman's study reveals that, "An informal mentor can enable positive reflection through dialogue that is set apart from the daily activity" (2000). Therefore, an informal mentor can often provide a more immediate means of communication and growth for the mentee. Even though it was very clear that the most beneficial support provided for these teachers was spontaneous and natural, formal mentoring was not altogether unappreciated or unhelpful. For instance, while Teacher Pink states, “Much of my support transpired by chance and by colleagues volunteering to help me. There was not much useful formal support in place,” all of the teachers recognized a need for the formal mentoring to be more structured, accessible, and available for it to be more beneficial. Leaning on a colleague of choice was simply more tangible than the structure that formal mentoring offered for these particular teachers.
Second of all, the need for affective experiences such as belonging to the school community became quite apparent among the teachers’ responses. All of the teachers made at least one reference to mentoring resulting in making them feel like a part of the community and not just a number on staff or a mere body standing in front of thirty students at a time. Teacher Green even mentioned that mentoring allowed them to “be part of a fairly social group of staff as [they] shared the common interest of sport. Attending the athletic functions as well as the informal Friday get-togethers at the local pub did provide [them] with a sense of belonging.” The feeling of belonging can immensely benefit a teacher’s feeling of pride and provide a sense of belonging within the community that in turn benefits their teaching practice. Teacher Blue even stated that, “It is important to build a strong network of beginning teachers so they can share experiences and support each other.” Halford refers to this as a "professional lifeline" that acts as a powerful resource for beginning teachers (1998). Furthermore, the best support this teacher received in their first five years was “being able to co-plan and co-teach with a colleague. Despite the fact that [teachers] teach with so many people around [them], [they] are often in isolation. It’s great to be able to collaborate – two heads are better than one!” (Teacher Blue). Therefore, a real sense of community and belonging was prominent in these teachers’ responses.
Looking on the other side of the coin, when this community support was not offered, one of the teachers remembers feeling, “somewhat forgotten about – just another person working from day to day, as opposed to a teacher with goals, worth, and the ability to improve” (Teacher Pink). Mentoring has many advantages, including taking the whole person into consideration. The overall satisfaction and happiness of a teacher may often relate back to their relationships and experiences in the workplace. Thus, community is important to consider when it comes to induction. Mentoring can provide a beginning teacher with support that is greater than simply learning how to teach.
Next, another significant and common response from these teachers is that mentoring and induction are based on a holistic approach to learning and teaching; teachers need support with more than the day to day requirements such as lesson planning, learning school policies, and preparing for parent-teacher interviews. Tillman's study acknowledges that, "First-year teachers have job expectations that are equal to those of a 20-year veteran. Unlike other professions in which a rookie employee might slowly acquire responsibilities, a rookie teacher is confronted with numerous, demanding, and sometimes overwhelming responsibilities on the first day" (2000). One teacher noted a similar experience, saying that, “Induction prepares teachers for this whirlwind profession and enables them to lead a more balanced lifestyle” (Teacher Pink). Another teacher commented on the useful conversations about “extracurricular demands and balancing work and personal life. As a new teacher...it is easy to get caught up in the everyday demands of the classroom. It can overtake your life!” (Teacher Blue). Beginning teachers often have trouble seeing the big picture and are so concerned with surviving their first few years with some success that they forget to take care of themselves. This leads to negative consequences, as beginning teachers become tired and irritable; they do not perform at their best. Often, they need a word of advice from a teacher who has experienced it all before and knows how to come out alive and well. From the responses, it became clear that, “Beginning teachers need so much help learning school culture, gathering resources, and maintaining a healthy balance in their life” (Teacher Pink).
Lastly, the pairing process needs to be considered in successful mentoring. One teacher thought that, “beginning teachers should be paired up with somebody who works in close proximity to them, who teaches similar subjects to them, and who is relatively close in age. This way, the mentor and mentee will have the most in common and will most likely have a successful relationship” (Teacher Pink). Moreover, reflecting on her experiences, one teacher said, “Many of the new teachers coming in to the school were my age, and as a result, felt more comfortable having me as a mentor” (Teacher Blue). Thus, mentor-mentee pairings can sometimes be more effective when there is more in common within the relationship. There would be more to discuss, more to bond over, and more understanding in place. It also became apparent that mentor pairings can have a major impact on teachers’ future considerations and careers. For instance, “My first mentor strongly encouraged me to be a lifelong learner…my second mentor quickly identified my leadership skills…This really allowed me to come out of my shell and gave the opportunity to work and learn with more amazing people…My third and final mentor…challenged me to be reflective and realistic” (Teacher Blue). Therefore, it is significant when mentors can make a difference in teachers’ lives. The hope is for teachers - both the mentor and the mentee - to leave the mentoring experience more energized, reflective, educated, and inspired. This is also portrayed when Teacher Blue remarked, “These three people made a tremendous impact on my teaching career and it is through their support that I have been successful and still love my profession!”
SUPPORTS
Supports are key to a beginning teacher's success. “Expecting them to perform all of the duties that we expect of seasoned professionals is unrealistic” (Renard. 2003). It takes years and years of practice and experience to become a master teacher, and the only way to ensure that the beginning teachers are continually engaged, challenged, and successful is to offer a variety of supports to meet both their personal and professional needs. A happy teacher is much more likely to pass on the joy and love of learning onto their students and stay in the profession! Based on the data collected through the interviews, four major themes of support were identified. These were: practical information and skills, time, communicating and networking, and teaching load.
The most basic necessity was identified as practical information and skills. The teachers just wanted to know the basic nuts and bolts. These included the technical aspects such as school policies, procedures, and security, but more trivial items such as attendance, finding supplies, textbook sign out, and finding lab material. These teachers really wanted to establish the sense of belonging through day-to-day routines and understand the culture of the school. As it was stated by one of the teachers interviewed, “as a beginning teacher ANYTHING is helpful” (Teacher Blue). Supporting teachers by giving them the opportunity to learn the basics early on is vital to teacher success and although these items may seem mechanical and unimportant to experienced teachers, it is important to remember that these small details are the grease that keep a good classroom running well.
Time was also identified as the premier barrier. The teachers wanted more time to talk to other teachers, reflect on their practice, co-plan and co-teach, observe veteran teachers, prep, and collaborate. The regular school day is already packed with so many activities that simply finding time to connect with another teacher is a challenge. In addition, beginning teachers simply take “more time to do what [experienced teachers] may consider the routine activities of teaching” (Renard, 2003). Through the interviews, the teachers wanted more time to develop “real relationships” with their mentors, observe expert teachers, co-plan, and look at resources. Teachers wanted to be reflective about their practice and reassured that they were doing the right thing.
Just like the students in the classroom, teachers are social and want to be able to network and build relationship with others. As Teacher Pink stated, “All of the casual conversations, advice, stories, resources and experiences shared have stayed with me and have helped me learn more than anything.” The informal conversations go a long way to support the well being of a beginning teacher. Being able to have the time to talk to someone helped to build confidence and give the teachers reassurance about how and why they were teaching. Even if the support network is informal, “finding a support network is important for good professional growth…it can help scaffold the learning and development of beginning teachers” (Teacher Blue). Ultimately, teachers need to have the opportunities to cultivate relationships with other people in the field so that they can communicate and network with other like-minded individuals.
Lastly, teaching load was identified as a major stumbling block in the first few years of teaching. Beginning teachers often get the worst teaching assignments, the worst students and the worst classrooms. Teaching may even involve teaching from a cart because there is no single classroom to teach from. Therefore, the teacher trucks supplies, assignments, and books from classroom to classroom throughout the day. It is not uncommon for a brand new high school teacher to teach in six different classrooms with at least four different preps. It is no wonder that "50 percent of beginning teachers leave [the profession] within five years" (Gonzales & Sosa, 1993)! Teachers get overtaxed academically, physically, and emotionally right from day one. Teacher Green sought a course load change part way through the year, “which went a far way in maintaining sanity." Teachers should not have to get to this level of frustration before any action takes place. In fact, waiting this long could cause teachers to become disillusioned and leave the profession at even faster rates.
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What really impresses me is that a colleague of mine came to our school 2 years ago after teaching in another school for 13 years, and she requested a mentor. It proved to be very successful, as she learned the school culture more quickly. (Teacher Pink)
Within the professional culture, a third perspective is uncovered. The responses did not emphasize a need for help with the mechanics of individual classroom teaching, but a wish for more emotional, relationship-based support. Teachers Pink and Green wanted reassurance that what they were doing was okay. Teacher Blue stated that, “Finding a support network is important for good professional growth.” It helps to create camaraderie and a feeling of belonging. These particular teachers felt that the teaching profession should strive to be one which creates connections amongst fellow teachers rather than seeking an isolating self-reliance. Teacher Green stated that “one of the mantras of teacher preparation is to avoid “reinventing the wheel”. This can be said for the profession itself. If we wish our profession to improve we must receive and heed the warnings of those before us and share a wealth of knowledge with those who follow us.”
From the interviews, it can be seen that the informal mentoring events were proven to be the most valuable. It was these “informal conversations, activities, advice, and stories [that] were the most helpful and memorable" (Teacher Pink). Teacher Green felt that their “induction experience was influenced a great deal by the social culture of the schools [and that the helpful support was more]social than practical." It would seem that the teaching culture is what may be able to fill in the gaps and weaknesses that occur with induction being implemented within the other cultures.
Omitted Sections:
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OMIT.... (We have labeled the professional culture as the culture that creates the overall impression of what it means to be an educator. It has been said that "teaching is the noblest profession in the world" (McKay, 1953). It is a culture that teaches students to be the best that they can be. Teachers challenge their students to reach their full potential.
There is also another side to this culture. The teaching profession is known as one that “eats its young” (Halford, 1998). Teacher Green reiterates this with the analogy, "I think new teachers are pushed into the deep end rather than the wading pool." This is due to the isolating structure of “one teacher in one classroom”. This can have an exclusionary effect on teachers because it prevents them from helping one another. There are few collaborative strutures in schools for teachers to co-plan and co-teach.
From the interviewed teachers’ experiences, a third perspective to this culture is revealed. The answers did not emphasize a need for help with the mechanics of individual classroom teaching, but a wish for more emotional, relationship-based support. Teachers Pink and Green wanted reassurance that what they were doing was okay. Teacher Blue stated that, “Finding a support network is important for good professional growth.” This shows that these particular teachers felt that the teaching profession should strive to be one which creates connections amongst fellow teachers rather than seeking an isolating self-reliance. Teacher Green said that “one of the mantras of teacher preparation is to avoid “reinventing the wheel”. This can be said for the profession itself. If we wish our profession to improve we must receive and heed the warnings of those before us and share a wealth of knowledge with those who follow us.” )
up to here...
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OMIT...
district has a distinct culture to support
comments such as, "I never heard anything from this program again [after the information session]” (Teacher Green), “I had no formal support [after the first year]” (Teacher Blue), and “I heard very little about this program [once the school year began]…Nobody approached me about participating in it” (Teacher Pink), show that they all experienced eventual truncated formal induction. One is lead to assume that the Districts’ approach to induction is more symbolic rather then systemic.
up to here...
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OMIT: Every school will also has its own distinct traditions and rituals that define the students and staff within its walls. This is where teachers are exposed to the greatest intensity of school culture. How well a beginning teacher is inducted is dependent on how the school views induction. “[Induction] can help a teacher learn the culture of a school, gain knowledge and expertise, and also network within a teaching community or district" (Teacher Pink). The veteran teachers and administrators of a school need to see the value of induction for it to be effective (Youngs, 2007). Teacher Green says that“it is crucial that … teachers are put on the right track to success not only in the ways of teaching, but the ways of the institution of schooling itself.”The policies, philosophies, and vision of each school impacts its culture; as teachers and students pass in and out of the hallways year after year, the gifts and talents that they have shared linger and influence the future of the school. For induction to have a place within the school culture, it must be warranted as significant to teacher and student success. Only in this way can beginning teachers have a chance to be properly inducted into their school. There is so much to learn about a school's culture; teaching plays a minor role in this learning process for the beginning teacher. Also, being properly inducted into a school's culture can have lasting effects on teacher satisfaction and possibly retention as well.**
Results
MULTIPLE CULTURES
The overall tone of the interview responses indicate that under the umbrella of Education, these three teachers operate within multiple cultures. How one is able to smoothly navigate both within and between the cultures they encounter will dictate, in part, their ability to achieve a sense of well-being in their job. More specifically, the application of induction practices within these multiple cultures can be revealed by the shared experiences of the interviewees. We have identified four cultures that are distinct and yet are highly synergistic. These are professional, district, school, and teacher cultures. A teacher may exist in one or a multitude of these simultaneously. We realize that these may not be the only cultures that exist, but we have chosen these based on the experiences documented in the interviews.
The first culture that exists is the professional culture. Every teacher, regardless of whether they are new or experienced, exists in this culture. As McKay states, teaching "is the noblest profession in the world" (1953). Teachers get to be with the best and brightest students every day. They can challenge students academically, socially, physically, and emotionally. It is a culture that teaches students to be the best that they can be. Teachers push students to go beyond their limits and reach their fullest potential. This is truly the good side of the professional culture - teachers make a difference.
But there is also another side to this culture. While teachers can encourage their students to excel and succeed, the professional culture is also said to "eat its young" (Halford, 1998). Although noble and rewarding, the teaching profession can be gruelling. We expect teachers "to assume the same responsibilities and duties as our most seasoned professionals" (Renard, 2003). As Teacher Green states, "I think new teachers are pushed into the deep end rather than the wading pool." This is certainly not the pleasant side of the professional culture, but it is a reality. Teachers are thrown into the deep end and told to sink or swim. They struggle to teach in their individual classrooms every day and silo themselves from the teaching community. Despite the fact that the teaching community is so large and that many teachers in the same school may teach the same course, there is a lot of isolation. Teachers have few opportunities to co-plan and co-teach and as a result, the professional culture is exclusionary rather than inclusive.
In addition to the professional culture, there exists a distinct district culture. All three school boards offered some form of induction to introduce new teachers to the district. This will typically take on the form of district information and procedural matters such as identification and payroll. However, districts will vary to how far they take formal induction. Examples of this were new teacher workshops and receiving mentorship opportunities. At a teacher conference, Teacher Pink, “got to meet all of the superintendents and...learned a little bit about the culture and history of the district." Regardless of the initial formal induction process that the teachers encountered, each one felt that there was a definite void in their induction experience. For Teacher Green, after the initial induction workshop, "I never heard anything from this program again [after the information session]." For Teacher Pink, despite the promise of a district wide induction program, "I heard very little about this program [once the school year began]…Nobody approached me about participating in it." Alternatively, for Teacher Blue, there was a mentoring pairing process in place, but "I had no formal support [after the first year]." It is evident that each of the teachers wanted more support and despite the outward appearance of support for the beginning teachers, the districts' approach to induction was more symbolic rather than systemic. If induction was truly a priority, then more energy and resources would be available to develop and support the careers of the beginning teachers.
Another culture that became apparent through the teachers' responses was school culture. Every school has its own distinct traditions and rituals that will define the students and staff within its walls. This is where teachers are exposed to the greatest intensity of school culture. The policies, philosophies, and vision of each school impacts its culture; as teachers and students pass in and out of the hallways year after year, the gifts and talents that they have shared linger and influence the future of the school. For induction to have a place within a school's culture, then, it must be developed over time and must be featured as a significant part of the school. How well a beginning teacher is inducted is dependent on how the school views induction. This lies in the hands of the teachers and administrators. As Youngs states, teachers are more likely to succeed “when particular district policies are present and when mentors, principals, and other colleagues hold particular understandings of induction” (2007). Moreover, Teacher Pink commented that, “[Induction] can help a teacher learn the culture of a school, gain knowledge and expertise, and also network within a teaching community or district." Furthermore, Teacher Green said that, “it is crucial that … teachers are put on the right track to success not only in the ways of teaching, but the ways of the institution of schooling itself.” Only in this way can beginning teachers have a chance to be properly inducted into their school and begin their careers on the right foot. Being properly inducted into a school's culture can have lasting effects on a teacher's satisfaction and possibly retention as well. In fact, Teacher Pink shared an experience where a colleague with thirteen years of teaching experience went to a new school and requested a mentor. This proved to be very successful, as she learned the school culture and became comfortable in her new environment more quickly. This shows that no matter what stage a teacher is at in their career, every school has a unique culture that needs to be learned and adopted.
Lastly, a teacher culture was identified as an essential ingredient for beginning teachers. Teaching is all about building relationships. Teachers primarily build relationships with their students – after all, we are in the business of teaching students! Teachers also build relationships with parents and guardians who can a teacher’s greatest allies. More importantly, we build relationships with colleagues. As teachers gain experience, they can share their knowledge and expertise with fellow teachers. It allows them to be reflective about their practice. As Teacher Green stated, it was “rewarding to have the opportunity to share my experiences and advice.” There is clearly a culture of “passing on the torch” and sharing “war stories.” Why reinvent the wheel when other teachers have already paved the way for success? This sharing culture is important for moving forward. Similar to student learning, teaching needs to be scaffolded and supported because it goes beyond the mere aspects of teaching and into the social and emotional supports that are necessary to survive the demands of a teacher’s life. Moreover, teachers stay in the profession because of the relationships they develop. Many people would say that they have stayed at a particular job because of the people they work with. This is even more true with teaching! The relationships and friendships that are built help teachers last longer. Teachers share a communal environment where they have the opportunity to bounce ideas off each other, eat lunch together, and co-plan, co-teach, or co-coach. The most valuable resource a teacher can have is the teacher next door, down the hall, or across the staff room table.
EXPERIENCES AND RELATIONSHIPS
Another major theme that developed through the interviews was Experiences and Relationships. Within this theme, four main threads surfaced, namely positive experience, affective experience, holistic approach, and pairing process. Together, these four strands encompass our responses about experiences and relationships within our work environments. The Experiences and Relationships theme truly demonstrates how teachers rely on and necessitate human connection and compatibility to succeed in their teaching and become inspired in their work.
First of all, the overall tone of the responses was positive even though not all the induction experiences were favorable. It was also evident that informal mentoring had the most positive response, as opposed to the formal mentoring which did not meet the teachers’ expectations or needs. For example, Teacher Pink stated, “The informal mentoring was the best support I received. All of the casual conversations, advice, stories, resources, and experiences shared have stayed with me and have helped me learn more than anything else.” The same teacher also stated, “Some of the conversations I found most valuable were the ones about classroom management, encouraging [and] motivating students in the right ways, dealing with parents, curriculum objectives, resources, when to call in sick, and overall wellness.” The casual and impromptu conversations seemed to make more of an impact on the teachers, most likely because the immediate feedback from a colleague is more helpful than meeting with a mentor about general and vague issues regarding teaching. Instead, when there is something to talk about – perhaps an incident occurred in the previous block – talking to somebody about it right away resonates more strongly than waiting until a meeting can be scheduled for it.
An observation in Beverly Tillman's study reveals that, "An informal mentor can enable positive reflection through dialogue that is set apart from the daily activity" (2000). Therefore, an informal mentor can often provide a more immediate means of communication and growth for the mentee. Even though it was very clear that the most beneficial support provided for these teachers was spontaneous and natural, formal mentoring was not altogether unappreciated or unhelpful. For instance, while Teacher Pink states, “Much of my support transpired by chance and by colleagues volunteering to help me. There was not much useful formal support in place,” all of the teachers recognized a need for the formal mentoring to be more structured, accessible, and available for it to be more beneficial. Leaning on a colleague of choice was simply more tangible than the structure that formal mentoring offered for these particular teachers.
Second of all, the need for affective experiences such as belonging to the school community became quite apparent among the teachers’ responses. All of the teachers made at least one reference to mentoring resulting in making them feel like a part of the community and not just a number on staff or a mere body standing in front of thirty students at a time. Teacher Green even mentioned that mentoring allowed them to “be part of a fairly social group of staff as [they] shared the common interest of sport. Attending the athletic functions as well as the informal Friday get-togethers at the local pub did provide [them] with a sense of belonging.” The feeling of belonging can immensely benefit a teacher’s feeling of pride and provide a sense of belonging within the community that in turn benefits their teaching practice. Teacher Blue even stated that, “It is important to build a strong network of beginning teachers so they can share experiences and support each other.” Halford refers to this as a "professional lifeline" that acts as a powerful resource for beginning teachers (1998). Furthermore, the best support this teacher received in their first five years was “being able to co-plan and co-teach with a colleague. Despite the fact that [teachers] teach with so many people around [them], [they] are often in isolation. It’s great to be able to collaborate – two heads are better than one!” (Teacher Blue). Therefore, a real sense of community and belonging was prominent in these teachers’ responses.
Looking on the other side of the coin, when this community support was not offered, one of the teachers remembers feeling, “somewhat forgotten about – just another person working from day to day, as opposed to a teacher with goals, worth, and the ability to improve” (Teacher Pink). Mentoring has many advantages, including taking the whole person into consideration. The overall satisfaction and happiness of a teacher may often relate back to their relationships and experiences in the workplace. Thus, community is important to consider when it comes to induction. Mentoring can provide a beginning teacher with support that is greater than simply learning how to teach.
Next, another significant and common response from these teachers is that mentoring and induction are based on a holistic approach to learning and teaching; teachers need support with more than the day to day requirements such as lesson planning, learning school policies, and preparing for parent-teacher interviews. Tillman's study acknowledges that, "First-year teachers have job expectations that are equal to those of a 20-year veteran. Unlike other professions in which a rookie employee might slowly acquire responsibilities, a rookie teacher is confronted with numerous, demanding, and sometimes overwhelming responsibilities on the first day" (2000). One teacher noted a similar experience, saying that, “Induction prepares teachers for this whirlwind profession and enables them to lead a more balanced lifestyle” (Teacher Pink). Another teacher commented on the useful conversations about “extracurricular demands and balancing work and personal life. As a new teacher...it is easy to get caught up in the everyday demands of the classroom. It can overtake your life!” (Teacher Blue). Beginning teachers often have trouble seeing the big picture and are so concerned with surviving their first few years with some success that they forget to take care of themselves. This leads to negative consequences, as beginning teachers become tired and irritable; they do not perform at their best. Often, they need a word of advice from a teacher who has experienced it all before and knows how to come out alive and well. From the responses, it became clear that, “Beginning teachers need so much help learning school culture, gathering resources, and maintaining a healthy balance in their life” (Teacher Pink).
Lastly, the pairing process needs to be considered in successful mentoring. One teacher thought that, “beginning teachers should be paired up with somebody who works in close proximity to them, who teaches similar subjects to them, and who is relatively close in age. This way, the mentor and mentee will have the most in common and will most likely have a successful relationship” (Teacher Pink). Moreover, reflecting on her experiences, one teacher said, “Many of the new teachers coming in to the school were my age, and as a result, felt more comfortable having me as a mentor” (Teacher Blue). Thus, mentor-mentee pairings can sometimes be more effective when there is more in common within the relationship. There would be more to discuss, more to bond over, and more understanding in place. It also became apparent that mentor pairings can have a major impact on teachers’ future considerations and careers. For instance, “My first mentor strongly encouraged me to be a lifelong learner…my second mentor quickly identified my leadership skills…This really allowed me to come out of my shell and gave the opportunity to work and learn with more amazing people…My third and final mentor…challenged me to be reflective and realistic” (Teacher Blue). Therefore, it is significant when mentors can make a difference in teachers’ lives. The hope is for teachers - both the mentor and the mentee - to leave the mentoring experience more energized, reflective, educated, and inspired. This is also portrayed when Teacher Blue remarked, “These three people made a tremendous impact on my teaching career and it is through their support that I have been successful and still love my profession!”
SUPPORTS
Supports are key to a beginning teacher's success. “Expecting them to perform all of the duties that we expect of seasoned professionals is unrealistic” (Renard. 2003). It takes years and years of practice and experience to become a master teacher, and the only way to ensure that the beginning teachers are continually engaged, challenged, and successful is to offer a variety of supports to meet both their personal and professional needs. A happy teacher is much more likely to pass on the joy and love of learning onto their students and stay in the profession! Based on the data collected through the interviews, four major themes of support were identified. These were: practical information and skills, time, communicating and networking, and teaching load.
The most basic necessity was identified as practical information and skills. The teachers just wanted to know the basic nuts and bolts. These included the technical aspects such as school policies, procedures, and security, but more trivial items such as attendance, finding supplies, textbook sign out, and finding lab material. These teachers really wanted to establish the sense of belonging through day-to-day routines and understand the culture of the school. As it was stated by one of the teachers interviewed, “as a beginning teacher ANYTHING is helpful” (Teacher Blue). Supporting teachers by giving them the opportunity to learn the basics early on is vital to teacher success and although these items may seem mechanical and unimportant to experienced teachers, it is important to remember that these small details are the grease that keep a good classroom running well.
Time was also identified as the premier barrier. The teachers wanted more time to talk to other teachers, reflect on their practice, co-plan and co-teach, observe veteran teachers, prep, and collaborate. The regular school day is already packed with so many activities that simply finding time to connect with another teacher is a challenge. In addition, beginning teachers simply take “more time to do what [experienced teachers] may consider the routine activities of teaching” (Renard, 2003). Through the interviews, the teachers wanted more time to develop “real relationships” with their mentors, observe expert teachers, co-plan, and look at resources. Teachers wanted to be reflective about their practice and reassured that they were doing the right thing.
Just like the students in the classroom, teachers are social and want to be able to network and build relationship with others. As Teacher Pink stated, “All of the casual conversations, advice, stories, resources and experiences shared have stayed with me and have helped me learn more than anything.” The informal conversations go a long way to support the well being of a beginning teacher. Being able to have the time to talk to someone helped to build confidence and give the teachers reassurance about how and why they were teaching. Even if the support network is informal, “finding a support network is important for good professional growth…it can help scaffold the learning and development of beginning teachers” (Teacher Blue). Ultimately, teachers need to have the opportunities to cultivate relationships with other people in the field so that they can communicate and network with other like-minded individuals.
Lastly, teaching load was identified as a major stumbling block in the first few years of teaching. Beginning teachers often get the worst teaching assignments, the worst students and the worst classrooms. Teaching may even involve teaching from a cart because there is no single classroom to teach from. Therefore, the teacher trucks supplies, assignments, and books from classroom to classroom throughout the day. It is not uncommon for a brand new high school teacher to teach in six different classrooms with at least four different preps. It is no wonder that "50 percent of beginning teachers leave [the profession] within five years" (Gonzales & Sosa, 1993)! Teachers get overtaxed academically, physically, and emotionally right from day one. Teacher Green sought a course load change part way through the year, “which went a far way in maintaining sanity." Teachers should not have to get to this level of frustration before any action takes place. In fact, waiting this long could cause teachers to become disillusioned and leave the profession at even faster rates.
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What really impresses me is that a colleague of mine came to our school 2 years ago after teaching in another school for 13 years, and she requested a mentor. It proved to be very successful, as she learned the school culture more quickly. (Teacher Pink)
Within the professional culture, a third perspective is uncovered. The responses did not emphasize a need for help with the mechanics of individual classroom teaching, but a wish for more emotional, relationship-based support. Teachers Pink and Green wanted reassurance that what they were doing was okay. Teacher Blue stated that, “Finding a support network is important for good professional growth.” It helps to create camaraderie and a feeling of belonging. These particular teachers felt that the teaching profession should strive to be one which creates connections amongst fellow teachers rather than seeking an isolating self-reliance. Teacher Green stated that “one of the mantras of teacher preparation is to avoid “reinventing the wheel”. This can be said for the profession itself. If we wish our profession to improve we must receive and heed the warnings of those before us and share a wealth of knowledge with those who follow us.”
From the interviews, it can be seen that the informal mentoring events were proven to be the most valuable. It was these “informal conversations, activities, advice, and stories [that] were the most helpful and memorable" (Teacher Pink). Teacher Green felt that their “induction experience was influenced a great deal by the social culture of the schools [and that the helpful support was more]social than practical." It would seem that the teaching culture is what may be able to fill in the gaps and weaknesses that occur with induction being implemented within the other cultures.
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(We have labeled the professional culture as the culture that creates the overall impression of what it means to be an educator. It has been said that "teaching is the noblest profession in the world" (McKay, 1953). It is a culture that teaches students to be the best that they can be. Teachers challenge their students to reach their full potential.
There is also another side to this culture. The teaching profession is known as one that “eats its young” (Halford, 1998). Teacher Green reiterates this with the analogy, "I think new teachers are pushed into the deep end rather than the wading pool." This is due to the isolating structure of “one teacher in one classroom”. This can have an exclusionary effect on teachers because it prevents them from helping one another. There are few collaborative strutures in schools for teachers to co-plan and co-teach.
From the interviewed teachers’ experiences, a third perspective to this culture is revealed. The answers did not emphasize a need for help with the mechanics of individual classroom teaching, but a wish for more emotional, relationship-based support. Teachers Pink and Green wanted reassurance that what they were doing was okay. Teacher Blue stated that, “Finding a support network is important for good professional growth.” This shows that these particular teachers felt that the teaching profession should strive to be one which creates connections amongst fellow teachers rather than seeking an isolating self-reliance. Teacher Green said that “one of the mantras of teacher preparation is to avoid “reinventing the wheel”. This can be said for the profession itself. If we wish our profession to improve we must receive and heed the warnings of those before us and share a wealth of knowledge with those who follow us.” )
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district has a distinct culture to support
comments such as, "I never heard anything from this program again [after the information session]” (Teacher Green), “I had no formal support [after the first year]” (Teacher Blue), and “I heard very little about this program [once the school year began]…Nobody approached me about participating in it” (Teacher Pink), show that they all experienced eventual truncated formal induction. One is lead to assume that the Districts’ approach to induction is more symbolic rather then systemic.
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OMIT: Every school will also has its own distinct traditions and rituals that define the students and staff within its walls. This is where teachers are exposed to the greatest intensity of school culture. How well a beginning teacher is inducted is dependent on how the school views induction. “[Induction] can help a teacher learn the culture of a school, gain knowledge and expertise, and also network within a teaching community or district" (Teacher Pink). The veteran teachers and administrators of a school need to see the value of induction for it to be effective (Youngs, 2007). Teacher Green says that “it is crucial that … teachers are put on the right track to success not only in the ways of teaching, but the ways of the institution of schooling itself.” The policies, philosophies, and vision of each school impacts its culture; as teachers and students pass in and out of the hallways year after year, the gifts and talents that they have shared linger and influence the future of the school. For induction to have a place within the school culture, it must be warranted as significant to teacher and student success. Only in this way can beginning teachers have a chance to be properly inducted into their school. There is so much to learn about a school's culture; teaching plays a minor role in this learning process for the beginning teacher. Also, being properly inducted into a school's culture can have lasting effects on teacher satisfaction and possibly retention as well.**